Choose a Media Facts Report



Out of Home

Media Facts  Advantages  Disadvantages  Plus Radio  Glossary of Terms  Create a Profile

Eye-catching and bold, out-of-home (OOH) advertising was one of the earliest forms of advertising and represents an excellent way for businesses to attract the attention of a mass audience.  The medium is particularly effective for local advertisers who want to build name recognition within the marketplace, but top national brands in telecommunications, finance, retail, real estate, and food services also rely heavily on this medium.

  • OOH advertising revenue experienced an increase of 20.7 percent in 2022, which accounted for $8.6B.

(Source: Outdoor Advertising Association of America, 2023)

  • Leading out-of-home advertising categories in the U.S. as of Q1 2022, by ad spending in millions
    • 473.9M - misc. services and amusements
    • 174.8M - retail
    • 155.0M - media and advertising
    • 122.5M - financial
    • 109.9M - government, politics & organizations
    • 108.1M - restaurants
    • 106.3M - public transportation, hotels & resorts
    • 97.3M - insurance & real estate
    • 68.5M - automotive dealers and services
    • 64.9M - schools, camps & seminars

(Source: Kantar Media; OAAA, June 2022)

This huge category is divided into four sectors, covering an array of advertising options listed below with the number of displays for each in 2022:

  • Billboards
    • Bulletins – 173,985
    • Digital Billboards – 11,500
    • Posters – 145,000
    • Junior Posters 19,000
    • Walls/Spectaculars – 2,310
  • Street Furniture
    • Bus Shelters – 64,838
    • Urban Furniture - 57,866
      • Bus Benches
      • Bike Kiosks
      • Newsstands
      • Outdoor Kiosks
      • Urban Panels
    • Digital St. Furniture – 10,815
  • Transit
    • Airports – 27,970
    • Digital Airports – 3,150
    • Buses – 1.35MM
    • Retail/Subway – 356,773
    • Digital Rail/Subway/Transit – 16,466
    • Mobile Billboards - 4,515
    • Taxis – 21,000
    • Digital Taxis/Rideshare – 71,400
    • Vehicle Wraps - 441,000
  • Place-Based OOH
    • Arenas & Stadiums - 1,338
    • Cinema – 34,800
    • Digital Place-Based Networks – 750,000
    • Interior Place-Based - 550,406
      • Gas Stations 
      • Convenience Stores
      • Restaurants/Bars 
      • Medical Point of Care
      • Office Buildings/Elevator
      • Grocery Stores
    • Shopping Malls – 24,255
    • Digital Shopping Malls – 12,507

(Source: Outdoor Advertising Association of America, 2022)

  • US Out-of-Home Ad Spending, by Format, in Q2 2022:
    • Billboards - $1,524.7 (69.6%)
    • Transit - $350.5 (16.0%)
    • Place-based - $178.6 (8.2%)
    • Street Furniture - $135.8 (6.2%)

(Source: OAAA, OOH by Format Q4 2022)

  • Industry Revenue in 2023 broken down by key product and service line:
    • Static billboards - $4.1bn (45.7%)
    • Digital billboards - $1.8bn (19.6%)
    • Transit displays - $1.2bn (13.0%)
    • Street Furniture and other urban fixture displays - $1.1bn (12.5%)
    • Alternative and other leased displays - $824.3m (9.2%)

(Source: IBSWorld, Billboard & Outdoor Advertising in the US, April 2023)

  • Industry Revenue in 2023 broken down by key markets:
    • Services - $2.7bn (30.3%)
    • Retail and consumer goods - $2.1bn (23.1%)
    • Entertainment - $1.9bn (21.0%)
    • Health/medical - $940.8m (10.5%)
    • Manufacturing - $654.1m (7.3%)
    • Government - $250.9m (2.7%)
    • Households consumers and individuals - $206.1m (2.3%)

(Source: IBSWorld, Billboard & Outdoor Advertising in the US, April 2023)

  • 61% of Adults 18+ have seen a billboard in the last month.

(Source: 2023 MRI-Simmons Fall Doublebase)

  • Adults 18+ who have seen a billboard in the last month:
    • 52% say advertising keeps them up-to-date about products and services that they need or would like to have.
    • 32% say advertising helps them choose products to buy for their kids.
    • 24% say they like to look at advertising.

(Source: 2023 MRI-Simmons Fall Doublebase)

  • 65% of AM/FM radio listening takes place out of home.
    • 44% of AM/FM radio listening takes place in the car.
    • 19% AM/FM radio listening takes place at work.

(Source: Nielsen National Regional Database, Adults 18+ - Q4 2022)

  • OOH industry growth and future success are predicated on a number of factors:
    • Mobile consumers who are outside their homes most of the day
    • Cost efficiency versus other media
    • Innovations (primarily digital) that bolster the value of OOH advertising
    • Less fragmented than many other media
    • Recent introduction of a new ratings system to facilitate buying